Masters

[anigo]

Went swimming with the masters group last night. T'was great. I have NO idea how much I did. The coach said that the group did 1800 m, but I didn't do as much as the group - wimp that I am. I started off really well. Slower than the group as a whole doing the warmups. I have no endurance so 4 lengths take me a while, but it wasn't a race and nobody was watching me and the coach is very encouraging and she says I have fantastic form. After the warmups we did sets - just one length sprints of varying techniques. I was as good as many, and even better than one or two, when it came to these sprints and had some very encouraging comments from a couple of people. The people in the group on a whole are great. The coach is great. It's all just great! The coach's name is Heidi. She's about 8 feet tall, has long long long long sort of ashy blond/honey brown hair, might weigh 100 pounds if she's lucky. She's positively stunning. If she wasn't such a nice person I'd hate her! Oops... where did that come from?

The bad thing about it was that the group goes for an hour and a half and about an hour into it I started getting one of those STUPID headaches again. We had moved on to sets - (50 m x 2 slow and then 100 m fast)x3 and there was no way in hell I was going to be able to do them without my head exploding, so I admitted defeat. The coach was fine with it, saying I had put in a great showing for my first time out and hoped I'd be back again on Thursday. Unfortunately I won't, because Thursday is my regular swimming class, but I told her that I'd be back next Tuesday and I'd pick up with them on Thursdays after my swimming classes had finished.

I am REALLY enjoying it. A lot. WAY more than I'm enjoying running - and I get up in the morning feeling not nearly as beat up. I think that as the weather gets colder I may cut back the running some - maybe only two times a week - and try to do more swimming.

Much fun!

Comments

[fyremaven.livejournal.com]

all the experts say that swimming is by far the best cardio you can ever do; even if you got rid of the running entirely you could stick with the swimming and get plenty of good cardio; plus you wont be stressing out your joints.

so, you think the headaches are related to exertion or maybe it was the water....like a sinus headache type thing and you were waterlogged?? weird. i forgot; do you get allergy problems? because if you can keep your sinuses dried out the headaches would decrease or even stop. but i think your headaches are from something else; i just cant think at this hour.
;)

also; is there a link to that pledge site?? i have all your name and pertinent data...i was gonna do the paypal thingie there.

i'm off to work; have a great post swim day! you did GREAT!!

[anigo.livejournal.com]

I've had this headache four times now. Three times while running and once - yesterday - swimming. It feels sort of migraine-ish. It comes on towards the end of the exercise - maybe 30-45 minutes in - and is usually preceded by a flushed feeling in my face. A quick internet search this morning says it sounds like an effort/exertion headache. The thing is I don't *feel* like I'm over exerting myself. I mean, I'm exerting myself, but at a comfortable level. I'm not horribly winded or fatigued. I'm migraine prone anyway (and yes, I also have allergies) and all the symptoms sound right - but I've got a doctor's appt on thursday for the general bits and pieces exam, I'll mention it to her then. Wouldn't want to drop dead while exercising. It's bad form.

Sorry, I usually hate talking about medical advice type stuff with a friend in the 'biz - it's like asking for free financial advice with brokers - but you asked. You're free to ignore without any repercussions.

The pledge link is here but I don't believe they take pay-pal. If that's a problem, you can paypal me the money and I'll make the pledge for you if you'd like. And a million pre-thank-you's for your donation!

[fyremaven.livejournal.com]

i'll check out the site to see what they take, if i cant acommodate them (ok, i know i misspelled that!) then i'll paypal the money to you.

getting back to this headache thing, and yeah; *I* asked!!, anyway...the exertion principle is important. it's important that you figure out your maximum heartrate for burning calories. there's a technical name for it but it escapes me. anyway, it's the number they recommend (spelled THAT right, anyway!) for your age to be your heartrate when you are exercised maximumly. god, i cant talk today.
so; let's say your max is between 145-156. based on your age. then when you are doing your swimming, running, whatever....every 4 minutes or so you do a pulse check. take your own pulse for 6 seconds and multiply it by 10. i just did mine and it was 7 (x 10 equals 70 beats per minute 'bpm') and that's ok for me just sitting here typing and mispelling everything. if your number is too high for whatever's recommended (hah! did it again) then you MUST slow down. no if's, and's or butt's.....hehe. pun intended.
the reason for that is because you musnt over exert your heart. it's your only heart. so it's important to keep it happy and not make it stressed out. if your headaches are seeming like they happen when you are exercising then that's probably the reason. even though you dont feel like you are over exerting your heart is being forced to pump too much blood and it's mad, a bit. so it's probably constricting the vessels in your brain so it can lighten it's load. hey, i dont know what your heart's thinking. just try it and let me know what you find out.

now you can teach me to sail.
:D :D :D

[anigo.livejournal.com]

I will gladly teach you to sail any old time you want!

You have my word on that!

[simonmarshall.livejournal.com]

photos of your coach, you say? Don't mind if I do..